Otis Hudson (born July 19, 1986) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

. He was drafted by the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

in the 5th round of the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Eastern Illinois Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...

Early years

Otis was born and raised in the city of Chicago. He used sports as a way to stay out of trouble. He liked playing basketball, football, and baseball. When Hudson was in middle school, he became part of AAU basketball, which was coached by Douglas Keys. He started playing football in 8th grade and realized he had great athletic ability in football. He played on both the varsity offensive line and defensive line, when he was a freshman at John Marshall High School. He also played on the varsity basketball team as the center. When he was a sophomore in high school, he told his parents he wanted to move to the suburbs, because he knew he would have a better opportunity of playing NCAA football. Otis and his family moved to Barrington, IL. He played varsity football and basketball at Barrington High School and graduated in 2005. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University and helped his team earn All Conference and All Area recognitions. After graduation, he traveled to California to train with Travelle Gaines of Performance Gaines. Gaines always spoke highly of Hudson. "For the 2010 NFL draft, I have been training 24 top prospects, including Otis, and Otis is just as good as everyone I've seen. He has a work ethic that outclasses most and is very cooperative and coachable, which are intangibles you can't teach."

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals

On July 7, 2010, Hudson agreed to terms on his rookie contract with the

. He was penciled in as the backup right guard. On September 4, 2010, he was waived by the Bengals. He cleared waivers and was re-signed to the Bengals' practice squad. During the 2011 season, Hudson spent part of the season on the active roster and on the practice squad. Coach Paul Alexander said he was one of the most improved players during summer camp in 2011. Hudson spent the entire 2012 season on the Bengals' practice squad. On August 10, 2013, after an ankle injury caused Bengals rookie

Tanner Hawkinson Tanner Hawkinson (born May 14, 1990) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). Hawkinson played in college at the University of Kansas. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fift ...

to be sidelined indefinitely, the Bengals re-signed Hudson. Hudson was later released during final roster cuts.

Kansas City Chiefs

Hudson signed with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

on May 1, 2014. He was released August 25.

Personal life

As of 2021, Otis works at Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor.

References

External links

Cincinnati Bengals bio

Eastern Illinois Panthers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Otis 1986 births Living people American football offensive guards American football offensive tackles Cincinnati Bengals players Eastern Illinois Panthers football players Kansas City Chiefs players People from Barrington, Illinois Players of American football from Illinois Sportspeople from Cook County, Illinois